Homemade Hamburger Buns in a Jiffy

Ever have one of those times when a hamburger or veggie burger sounds so good (say, for example, right before watching a Super Bowl game), but you don’t happen to have any buns on hand? Problem solved. These hamburger buns are insanely fast to whip up, because they do not require any rising time (just a few minutes of rest) …

I followed the original recipe pretty closely, but now that I am comfortable with it, I have plans to experiment further, perhaps reducing the sugar, trialing it with other flours, going sans egg for a vegan option, etc. But, in the meantime, I wanted to share it with you as it is just so darn helpful!

This recipe is dairy-free (no milk, lactose, or casein), peanut-free, tree nut-free, and soy-free. You can substitute 1 Ener-G egg for a good egg-free and vegan option too (thanks Carolsue!) or you can use a “flax egg” as Melissa did here at Vegan Cooks.

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Stir in the oil and sugar, and let the mixture stand for 5 minutes.

Add the egg, salt, white flour, and 1 1/2 cups of the wheat flour, combining until it forms a soft dough. Add the additional 1/4 cup of wheat flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands (if you need a little more, that is okay too). Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes or so.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces, shape each into a thick disc, and place them on baking sheets about 3 inches apart.

Preheat your oven to 425ºF. Lightly cover the balls of dough and let them rest for about 10 minutes (or longer if you wish).

Pop them in the oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until nicely browned. Cool on a wire rack.

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127 thoughts on “Homemade Hamburger Buns in a Jiffy”

Hi Stephanie – I’m sorry the recipe isn’t working out well for you. Did you make sure your yeast is active? It sounds to me like you may have yeast that is no longer active. Also, did you use warm water? The dough should feel warm, not cool.

You can always let the bun dough sit and rise for about 30 minutes before baking – if the yeast is active and the dough is warm, then they should definitely rise during that time without a problem. Sometimes I cheat and put the buns in the oven while it is preheating; this will give them some more initial rise.

I just tried these – i was in a pinch it was lunchtime and i had no rolls. i typed in my search on google, found this recipe and we are having them right now! DELICIOUS. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!! I will be posting a link to this recipe on my website tonight.

I used this recipe but made em vegan, with a twist. Instead of the egg I used 1 tsp tapioca flour and 2 tbsp water (tapioca flour is tapioca starch, and can be used as egg replacer much like corn starch) g, and I did a soy milk “egg coat” with sesame seeds.This was about 2 tbsp soymilk with seeds sprinkled on top right before baking. Also I used a little earthbalance shortening (about 1/4 cup) instead of oil just because I have food stamps and find it affordable right now. Any who, the rolls turned out beautifully, and I really appreciate the recipe!

Wing it Vegan sent in this feedback on making them vegan: “I made the burger buns today and they were super fluffy and perfect again. You mentioned that a few vegans had told you they didn’t work out for them, so I took notes of everything I did that might help: I used bread flour for extra gluten magic. The warm water was at 115 degrees, I absolutely always use a thermometer when I’m working with yeast. The oven was already hot because I had been baking butternut squash “fries” at 425 degrees, so when the buns were resting on the warm stovetop they were nice and cozy. I let them rise for 15 minutes and baked them for 12. The egg replacer might not be necessary at all, but I’ll try them without next week and I’ll let you know how that goes. Vegans need to try these buns, they’re amazing!”

hi – coming back to make these for the 3rd time and i read a few comments about skipping the egg. just wanted to share that i omit the egg due to an allergy in our family and they turned out great both times – as rolls. not fluffy for sandwiches but i like to make them as rolls to eat alongside soups, etc.. making them tonight w/ our lentil soup.

Hi Val, awesome! THanks for sharing your sub. I actually tried baking powder in place of the egg last month and it worked great, but I’m at high altitude, so I didn’t know if it worked as well for others. Great feedback and glad you’re liking your buns 🙂

Have made these a few times now. This time I decided to add about a 1/2 tsp of baking soda in hopes they might rise a bit more. They are taking double time to bake. And I’m soooo hungry!!! Lesson learned. Leave well enough alone. 🙂

Well good to know that didn’t quite work 🙂 At least you have a tried and true recipe that does! I’m at sea level now, and will try your version at one point and see what I can do for the rising factor.

from what i got… if you actually use these for hamburgers or veggie burgers, you need to make them bigger because they wont get bigger.. and if you are using pre-made patties then your bun is too small.

also… i followed everything and did 15 minutes, they were BROWN on the outside, nice crust.. but raw on the inside. and my oven was 425.

Hi Lawren, I’m so sorry they didn’t work out for you! You are the first person to have this happen with the recipe, and I have tested it many times myself. Did you check your oven temperature to ensure it doesn’t run hot? Also, do not have the buns on the top rack, they should be in the middle of your oven.

Also, it sounds like the yeast you used may be inactive. When you dissolve the yeast, let it sit for 5 minutes, it should become foamy / bubbly. If it doesn’t, then the yeast you are using is no longer active enough.

They do rise (during the 10 min rest and when you bake them), and if you are making 8 of the buns from that recipe, they are burger-sized. You can let them rise a bit longer if desired, but they do get bigger when made exactly as instructed in the recipe and when using an egg.

I put them back in and let them cook through, and they turned out like good pieces of bread, but not hamburger buns lol. i tried it for a mini burger and it was just weird! but i ate it.

i have baked many things in my oven, especially cup cakes. i know my oven temperature wasn’t the problem. i think maybe the yeast could have been a problem. i let it set for 5 minutes (did everything the directions said) i probably let it set for 10 cause i went outside for a bit… it wasn’t foamy or bubbly. i just bought the package though.

Karen, I have. They definitely come out a bit heartier and don’t rise as much. If you aren’t trying to do low-gluten, I would add some gluten if using spelt flour. My family liked the wheat ones better.

Karen, if you are trying to avoid gluten, then I wouldn’t use spelt. It is only slightly lower in gluten than wheat. Spelt and kamut are cousins of wheat and aren’t gluten-free.

I used whole spelt, but white spelt or a combo would work much better. You can also add just a wee bit of xanthan gum. Sometimes when I make an all spelt bread, I add the slightest bit of xanthan and it turns out beautifully (much less than they use in gluten-free breads).

A family member is gluten intolerant and cannot eat wheat. However, this person is able to eat spelt and kamut on a regular basis, along with gluten-free breads and gluten-free pasta. I will attempt to bake the rolls with a combination of flours and will add the xanthan gum! Have a pleasant weekend and thank you for your assistance!

I googled “homemade hamburger buns” and found this recipe. I just tried it – and it is fantastic! I don’t know why I’m surprised… I bake two loaves of bread a week using the recipe from your cookbook! I should have known better!

These are great and easy! I’ve recently gone dairy and soy free after realizing that the dairy and soy in my diet was making my nursing 2 month old daughter miserable (and in turn making the rest of us miserable). It’s daunting to figure out how to cut out dairy and soy but these buns fit the bill and saved me for the 4th of July BBQ. Thanks!

I just made these tonight and my kids loved them. Thank you! It is our Thanksgiving tradition for me to make buns using my grandma’s recipe, but I’ve eliminated dairy from my diet. Your recipe is very similar to hers and just what I was hoping to find. Have you tried making it with less yeast? Does using this much yeast cause them to rise quickly or serve as a substitute for milk? Or both?

Hi Jan, glad your family enjoyed them! The yeast is mainly to help with a quicker rise. If you have time to let them rise for an hour, you can easily reduce the yeast to 1 tablespoon or even one packet of yeast (2-1/4 teaspoons) if that is more convenient.

I have tried them with less yeast, and they still work, but didn’t seem quite as fluffy, so I stuck with the higher amount when I didn’t have time to let them rise.

Hi Alisa! I wanted to tell you how much I’ve been enjoying Smart School Time Recipes! If you ever published it in regular book form, I’d be first in line to buy one.

Wondering if you or anyone has had success lowering the sugar in these? I made them tonight, I only had all-purpose flour so that’s what I used. They rose fine, but weren’t very light (like a store-bought bun). The other thing that bugged me was how SWEET they actually are. Any feedback re: lowering sugar content? I’m tempted to reduce it to 1 tablespoon…or less.

I hope your holidays were wonderful! I’ve been meaning to email you about the e-book, but things get busy and I forget.
Take care!
Min

In terms of sugar, if you like them less sweet then lower away. The recipe should work just fine with less sugar. I’ve had people say that they turned out great with just 1 tablespoon.

In terms of light-ness, perhaps the yeast or baking powder you used weren’t fresh? These aren’t super-light and airy, but usually turn out like kaiser buns or wheat hamburger buns (a little heartier than white), but aren’t doughy like the ones that use dough conditioners. Yours actually should have been a bit lighter though since you used all white flour, which is what makes me wonder about the leaveners.

If you have time, you can let them rise for 30 minutes, which will of course make for a lighter bun if the yeast is active. I hope that helps!

I just wanted to say thank you too. I discovered this recipe over a year ago, and now I make them regularly. It’s amazing what a difference home-made hamburger buns make! They are super easy and really yummy.

I find I get the best (fluffy and soft) results when I make sure to knead the dough really well (- easy, now that I have a kitchen aid… just let it go with the dough hook for 5-8 minutes).

Just found this recipe today, took me 30 min total prep and cook time, and they are great! I did not have to leave the house to get buns for the 3 burger patties warming up for our lunch. Seriously, it was so easy and turned out so well. I will think twice before i buy buns again.

I tried this recipe last week and it turned out perfectly! My boyfriend said his only complaint was that it was too tasty! =) He said he could actually taste the bun more than the burger he had with it.

Thank you! I was so glad to find a recipe in which I didn’t need to wait 2 hours for the dough to rise.

Just wanted to say thanks for the recipe! I’m 4 months vegan and was looking for an easy vegan hamburger bun recipe. (I used the egg replacer) This is my first time using yeast, so needless to say I’m not a very experienced baker 😉 and even I was able to make these! And they are delicious! Thanks again!

I have made these 3 times as hamburger buns with rave reviews! Today I divided them into 16 dough balls and made dinner rolls. This recipe is a keeper.
I am glad to read that the amount of sugar can be reduced. Will try that next time.

Just tried them and it worked perfect, thanks for the great recipe, I have not yet tried them as hot dog buns, but will in the future..
I also put everything in my bread machine to make the dough, and I used the Flax egg that you mentioned and it works great, so the only thing I changed in the recipe was I added a flax egg instead of a regular egg..
Now I can enjoy hamburger buns again.. 🙂

These are wonderful, but I just want to say thank you so much. Let me explain. The veggie burgers for which these were earmarked did not turn out, so I ended up eating one of these little buns uncut as a dinner roll and it almost brought me to tears. My grandmother used to make the BEST yeast rolls and when she passed seven years ago the recipe died forever with her. Or so I thought. I could have sworn I was eating one of her rolls last night and it brought back such happy memories. Soooo happy to have found this.

By the way, used a flax egg to make it vegan and whole wheat pastry flour because it tends to sub better for all purpose:)

Just found this recipe and am trying it right now. If it turns out well, I would like to be able to print it but can’t figure out how (this time I have been running back and forth from the computer to the kitchen – not very efficient!). I imagine it is something simple, but just can’t seem to figure it out. Thanks!

Just wanted to let you know, I made these vegan and oil free and they were awesome. Used a flax egg and applesauce in place of the oil. Also used all white whole wheat. Going to go make some minis now for sliders. Thanks so much.

hi: want to try your hot dog/hamburger recipe….i just bought some organic sprouted whole grain spelt flour….which i’ve never used ever. Would this be okay as the only flour to use in this recipe? i also have organic bread flour and organic all purpose flour on hand but no xanthan gum. your thoughts please. will you email me too as i need to try and make these tomorrow? or will wait for your response and try what i have on hand in the meantime.

Just love your recipe! My daughter is allergic to sesame seeds and it is impossible to find store-bought buns that are undoubtedly safe for her. My family raves about these buns and I will never use another bun again!!! Would the recipe work making it as a loaf of bread and not small buns? I can’t think of a reason why not, but I wanted to ask the expert!

Thank you for making my daughter so happy now that she can have a bun with her burger just like everyone else – really, even better! I am one happy mom and very grateful!

So glad you are enjoying it! You reminded me, I need to test it as a bread! I don’t see why it wouldn’t work, but it will probably do better with a double rising rather than this single short rising. I’ll test it out though.

I made these for our dinner last night & they turned out perfectly! I made them vegan. I used an egg replacer powder, 3 cups of all purpose flour & 1/2 cup of oat flour. It’s all I had in my cupboards, but it worked. They were delicious! I had no problems with the rising. I brushed them with a little rice milk & sprinkled extra oat flour on the top.
My husband took one to work today for his meatless burger & just texted about how good it was.
And the fact that I threw it together in less than a half hour was a huge bonus. 🙂

Thank you so much for the recipe!! This is now a staple in my cupboard.

Turned out wonderful and so quick and easy, perfect with my turkey avocado burger. I used my bread machine to mix the dough and let it rise some. I did not have an egg, so did the flax substitute, used coconut oil and honey for the sugar. The buns were a bit crispy on the bottom with these substitutions, so delicious. I froze some of the dough to have on hand.